Mayor Meropi Ydraiou: "New traffic measures begin on Friday"
CORFU. Only certain types of vehicles will be allowed to enter the historic town centre from Friday 4 to 27 August, 20:00-00:00.
The Central Corfu Municipal Council approved on Tuesday 1 August the pilot traffic measures in the historic centre of the town.
From Friday 4 to 27 August, 20:00-00:00, access will only be allowed to the following:
- Permanent residents' cars, motorcycles, taxis and buses (including tourist coaches).
- Cars of people with special needs, emergency vehicles and police cars.
- For emergencies and special cases.
Free parking spaces will be available until 02:00 at the port for those coming from North Corfu. For those coming from South and Central Corfu, parking spaces will be available at the Corfu National Sports Centre and outside the 1st Cemetery. There are buses from these areas to the town centre every 20 minutes.
The Mayor Meropi Ydraiou stated the following: "If we are the kind of people who don't want anything to change, we wouldn't do anything either. This Municipal Authority dares, touches and deals with difficult issues. Noone dared to do so in the past. It is not our policy to choose to stand still, to change nothing, to continue to see the traffic jam in the Corfu historic centre.
We are taking the first step. But it is not just a single step, there is a big and comprehensive plan to change the image of the Corfu historic centre that reaches to 2028 and involves a comprehensive study to solve the traffic problem and relieve our town.
By 2028 the historic centre will have been completely transformed, it will be humane with high quality of life, it will be an attraction and not an area with traffic chaos as it is today. This move is just the beginning. Our plan 'Corfu 2028' includes changing the image of Corfu's historic centre which will become more beautiful, a point of reference, the town will finally "breathe" and will showcase its natural and cultural greatness.
- We want the town centre to be humane, to be focused on pedestrians, cycling, public transport and not on cars.
- This plan includes the redevelopment, the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan's implementation, and the creation and expansion of cycle paths, where possible, throughout the town.
The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan is the big change that this Municipal Authority associated its first term with. It is the roadmap to a humane, friendly, accessible and more beautiful town that includes ramps, redevelopments, paving, permanent parking spaces for permanent residents, small parks and recreation areas.
It was also stated that through the implementation of this measure:
The Corfu historic centre will be relieved from the unbearable and ever-increasing traffic.
Humane conditions that do not exist today will return to the historic centre.
There is close cooperation with the Traffic Police, which will have a permanent presence, facilitating traffic and planning.
These pilot measures will be continuously evaluated and updated if necessary until 27 August.
Photo: Enimerosi archive
VASSILIS PANTAZOPOULOS
